The return of the Marquette Intercollegiate to Erin Hills G.C., site of the 117th US Open, highlights the 2017-18 season schedule for defending BIG EAST Men's Golf Champion Marquette.

After being the site of Wisconsin's first US Open in June, Erin Hills will host Marquette's fourth annual intercollegiate event October 1-3. Of the 15 teams in the Marquette Intercollegiate field, 11 advanced to NCAA Regional play last year while Florida State, Iowa State, Ole Miss and Purdue played in the NCAA Championships.

"The opportunity to tee it up on a US Open course a few months after the event will be an unforgettable experience," Marquette head coach Steve Bailey said. "This event has been a game-changer for our program. It is not only a great experience for the players, but it has allowed us access into top-tier events across the country. We are very thankful for Mr. [Andrew] Ziegler's generosity and the folks at Erin Hills who embrace this event."

"While hosting the U.S. Open was an incredibly special experience, Erin Hills could not be more excited about continuing its support of amateur golf by welcoming many of the best college players in the Marquette Intercollegiate," said John Morissett, Competitions Director at Erin Hills.

The Marquette Intercollegiate is scheduled to feature some of the world's top amateur players, including NCAA individual champion Braden Thornberry of Ole Miss and Texas A&M's Cameron Champ, who tied for 32nd at the US Open at Erin Hills in June while leading the field in average driving distance at 337.3 yards, six yards better than the next closest player. Champ shot a 4-over-par 288 to finish second among amateurs. Thornberry finished with an 11-under-par 277 to claim the national title in May - he tied for eighth at the 2015 Erin Hills Intercollegiate. Florida State's Harry Ellis is the reigning British Amateur Champion and participated in the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Thornberry is ranked third in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), Champ is ranked eighth and Ellis is 72nd. Texas A&M's Chandler Phillips (55th) and Northwestern's Dylan Wu (82) also rank in the world's top 100 amateurs.

Marquette has hosted a fall event in each of the last four seasons, and at Erin Hills in three of the last four. In October of 2016, Marquette hosted its intercollegiate event at Milwaukee C.C., due to US Open preparations taking place at Erin Hills.

In addition to serving as a major championship venue, Erin Hills is ranked No. 9 in Golf Digest's Top 100 U.S. Public Courses for 2017.

The Golden Eagles' 11-event schedule features a spring slate that includes elite tournaments and high-level courses. Marquette's first spring event will be at the Puerto Rico Classic, Feb. 18-20, hosted by Purdue at Rio Mar Resort's River Course in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. One of the top events in college golf in the 25 years, past PRC medalists have included Stewart Cink, Matt Kuchar, Luke Donald and Lucas Glover. The Mackenzie Match Play, set for March 12-13, takes place at Pasatiempo G.C. in Santa Cruz, California, which was rated No. 18 in Golf Digest's Top 100 U.S. Public Courses for 2017. Later in March, Marquette travels to Georgia for the 40th 3M Augusta Invitational, hosted by Augusta University March 30-April 1. The event, which takes place the weekend prior to the 2018 Masters Tournament, includes major winners Davis Love III, Phil Mickelson, Justin Leonard and Dustin Johnson as past medalists.

"We have elevated our strength of schedule and added championship courses to the rotation," Bailey added. "It's especially going to be a test at the Puerto Rico Classic and Augusta Invitational, two of the premier tournaments in college golf."

Marquette will defend its BIG EAST Championship April 29 through May 1 at Callawassie Island G.C., where the Golden Eagles have won championships in two of the last three years. Seven of Marquette's eight players return from last year's team, including BIG EAST individual champion Matthew Bachmann, and All-BIG EAST selections Oliver Farrell and Matt Murlick.